It became obvious to me this morning that I’ve gone wrong somewhere in the process of parenting punks. Ten minutes ago this happened at our house: a not-so-small-child came to me and asked if I had seen his/her blue t-shirt recently. Yes, I said – the shirt is clean, it’s in the dryer. This child shuffled to the laundry room, paused for a moment and shouted back “but mommy, which one is thaaaaaaaat?” Okay … what sort of mother neglects to instill practical laundry skills in her children by oh, let’s just call it the late teen years?? Plainly, I’ve got some work to do before I send these people off into the world.

At least I’ve taught them to appreciate high quality fresh produce — and as always, there’s lots of it available at Sendik’s, and at great prices too. Here are three delicious dishes I aim to make this week. Right after I educate my offspring on the finer points of operating a front load Maytag washing machine.

First of all, I haven’t made this Oven Dried Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Olives in ages. What an excellent little tart to make when the tomatoes are at their peak. This makes a nice starter with some baby greens, but I also like it as a side dish to simple grilled fish or shrimp. Look for sale fresh beefsteak tomatoes, Montchevre Mini Goat Cheese Logs, and Belgioioso Parmesan Wedges.

In case you haven’t tried it yet, Sendik’s August Cheese of the month is the Hatch Pepper Heritage Cheddar. To me, it tastes like a pepper jack without the heat, and a great use for it is in these Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas. These are a nice starter if you’re entertaining with a Mexican theme; they also make a great light lunch, side dish, or meatless main course. In addition to the sale Hatch Pepper Cheese, look for fresh asparagus, La Banderita Flour Tortillas, and El Pinto Salsa.

After those two vegetarian meal suggestions, I’ve got a carnivorous option for you too: Steak Baguettes with Pesto Mayonnaise — one of my favorite summer sandwiches. Sendik’s Natural Top Sirloin Steaks are on sale this week, as are Sendik’s Artisan French Baguettes. Bread, steak, and fancy mayonnaise? Sign me up. If you like tomato on your sandwich, beefsteak tomatoes are on sale too, as mentioned above.